‘Why are Scandinavians constantly topping the happiness table?’ ‘How do you get more Scandi-style in your life?’ ‘Just how do you use lagom?’ Like her viking ancestors before her, Brontë Aurell left Denmark to explore the world beyond home shores and in her travels has come to understand the fascination with her kinfolk, as well as seeing the idiosyncrasies of the Scandinavian lifestyle that locals take for granted. Whether you want your apartment to look like it belongs in Copenhagen, to workout like a Norwegian or adapt to saunas like a Swede, this is the ultimate insider’s guide to the countries of the Nørth. Full of inspiration and ideas, how tos and recipes to help you experience the very best of Scandinavian design, philosophy, cookery and culture. With a signature wit and a keen eye for detail, travel alongside Bronte through fjords and mountains, farmlands and cities to better understand these three nations and what makes each one so unique. So get outdoors, learn the life lesson that there's no such thing as bad weather (only bad clothing) and you may discover your inner Scandi sooner than you think.

Baking became a form of therapy for Julie when her mother, who taught her to bake, was diagnosed with dementia. They began baking together again, and Julie started her Instagram account as a way to document this precious time. Her devoted followers regularly send supportive messages and photos of their own bakes. Her effortless style and amazing skills encourage everyday bakers to aspire to go ‘one step beyond’ and create something beautiful and imaginative. Using natural and colourful ingredients, considered decoration, and beautiful pastry designs, Julie Jones provides ideas on how to make bakes that beg to be presented in a way that feeds your soul as well as your stomach. Across the 175+, heavily illustrated pages, you’ll find chapters on: -Fruit Tarts and Pies, containing recipes like apple rose tart and plum and frangipane tart, plus pastry decoration techniques -Cakes, Bakes and Treats, with dipped lemon madeleines and muddle cake, as well as tips for getting cream fillings right every time -Bread and Yeasted Dough, with trampoline bread and grissini -Chocolate, including a stunning triple chocolate celebration cake and chocolate ganache -Desserts, with delizia di limone and a meringue sharing nest wreath -Weekend Breakfast and Brunch, with banana, pecan, and chocolate muffins and fluffy pancakes.

Scandinavia is the epitome of cool: from IKEA to hygge, Hamlet to the latest bestselling crime novel, the region's cultural influence is vast. But how valid is this outsider's view of Scandinavia, and how accurate is our picture of life in Scandinavia today? Enter Robert Ferguson's Scandinavians, an ambitious work of history and cultural comment that follows a chronological progression across the Northern centuries: from the Vendel era of Swedish prehistory all the way through Scandinavia's postwar social democratic nirvana and the terror attacks of Anders Behring Beivik. Scandinavians is also a personal investigation, with award-winning author Robert Ferguson as the ideal companion as he explores wide-ranging topics such as the power and mystique of Scandinavian women, from the Valkyries to the Vikings; from Nora and Hedda to Garbo and Bergman. Employing a digressive technique that deftly "combines the factual and the intimate" (Publishers Weekly), recalling the writings of W.G. Sebald, Scandinavians provides unequaled access to the society, politics, culture and temperament of modern Scandinavia.

NAMED THE #1 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, A WITTY, INFORMATIVE, AND POPULAR TRAVELOGUE ABOUT THE SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND HOW THEY MAY NOT BE AS HAPPY OR AS PERFECT AS WE ASSUME Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, and he has grown increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success, and, most intriguing of all, what they think of one another. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders as feral as they sometimes appear? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, and what their quirks and foibles are, and he explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism, and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn't easy being Scandinavian.

Get Scandi-cool with the Danish queen of minimal Scandinavia has long been the home of outstanding interior design and classic fashion brands like Acne Studios, Rains and Filippa K. But no one personifies modern Danish cool as well as fashion industry stylist, blogger and model Pernille Teisbaek. In her gorgeous first book Pernille offers professional tips on how to create a minimalist wardrobe and look, mix and match patterns successfully, adopt androgynous looks or new colour combinations, try out new materials and mix fabrics, plus plenty of timeless fashion advice such as a jeans-fit guide and essential Dos and Don’ts. Her beauty chapter reveals Pernille’s capsule survival kit and how to achieve her natural look. Pernille also covers pared-back Scandinavian home design with an eye on balancing elegant simplicity and minimalism with inviting homeliness and warmth, or hygge, and inspirational pictures. A perfect gift for all Scandi lovers and anyone wanting insider advice from one of fashion’s most stylish experts.

New York Times Bestseller Embrace Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking explains. "It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe." Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm. It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day. The Little Book of Hygge introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as: Get comfy. Take a break. Be here now. Turn off the phones. Turn down the lights. Bring out the candles. Build relationships. Spend time with your tribe. Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living. Cake is most definitely Hygge. Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow. From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

Discover the essence of hygge as revealed by Brontë Aurell, Danish owner of London’s ScandiKitchen in this honest and thoughtful guide, which also features some of her favorite recipes from her books, The Scandi Kitchen and Fika & Hygge, to help you enjoy a "hyggelig" time. Hygge is in the zeitgeist, but what is it, how do we bring hygge in our lives and why are we so captivated with this Danish word? According to Brontë it is really not complicated and doesn’t involve spending vast amounts of money on candles or blankets… in its purest form it is simply about appreciating life. Explained in 12 entertaining chapters interspersed with recipes, you will learn first about the origins of the word hygge (old Norse) and then how to embrace it with essays on: Hygge and the Basics, Hygge and Happiness, Hygge and Sharing, Hygge and Baking, Hygge and Darkness, Hygge and Light, Hygge and Time, Hygge and Stress, Hygge and Soul, Hygge and Nature, Hygge and Stuff, and Hygge and Your Home. Hygge is a completely psychological and emotional state of being. Whether it’s going for a long walk or baking and sharing a cake with friends, when you carve a pocket of time in your day, hygge can often be found. Remembering to appreciate and experience the moment will help you find your very own hygge.

Discover lagom—the Swedish idea of balance, harmony, beauty, and sufficency. Our love affair with all things Scandinavian shows no signs of letting up. Having embraced the Danish concept of hygge, we’re now looking to Sweden and one of their essential philosophies, lagom. It’s best described as “not too much, not too little; just the right amount,” which, in practice, is balance—and isn’t that what we’re all looking for? In this delightful little pocket book, Elisabeth Carlsson, a Swede who has been living in the UK for many years, lets us in on the secrets of the enviable Swedish lifestyle and shows us how we can all be a little more lagom. She explains what lagom means to the Swedish and then explores how it can relate to all areas of our life: from our separation of work and home through managing our time, to how we eat, never depriving ourselves but not overindulging and avoiding waste; from discovering what makes a home more lagom in style and function, to how we sustainably take care of that home; from appreciating and looking after our body with moderate exercise and care, to our approach to life as a whole, and realising that what’s good for the world can also be good for us, too. Filled with advice and ideas, this thoughtful guide provides the key to a lagom way of living—healthy, harmonious, and happy.